SUMMERFILM: Documentary Film Production for Teens (CAFILM Education)
SUMMERFILM is an immersive documentary filmmaking workshop for teens run by CAFILM Education, the youth education arm of the California Film Institute (which also produces the Mill Valley Film Festival). Students in grades 9-12 spend a week working with professional filmmakers at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael to learn documentary storytelling, production, and editing, culminating in an original short film.
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Wall Street Academy (University of San Francisco)
A week-long, in-person investing intensive at USF's Investment Lab where high schoolers use industry-standard tools like Bloomberg Terminal and FactSet to study investment fundamentals and global financial markets, including visits to major financial institutions such as BlackRock and Merrill Lynch.
BAVC Media Next Gen
Next Gen is a free semester-long after-school media program at BAVC Media in San Francisco for youth ages 14-17, distinct from BAVC's other youth offerings like Climate Warriors. Students choose a track in DSLR video production/cinematography (Factory) or frame/stop-motion animation, meet twice weekly, and can earn a $300 completion incentive while building a college-application portfolio.
California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) - Animation
CSSSA's Animation program is a distinct discipline track (separate department and faculty from the CSSSA Film program) within California's official state summer arts school. High school students explore traditional, cutout, and digital animation techniques, producing multiple animated projects over a residential summer session with guest artists, field trips to animation studios, and figure drawing training.
Immerse Education Software Development & AI Summer Programme (Bay Area)
A one-week overnight coding and AI summer program hosted at UC Berkeley for students ages 15-18, covering programming fundamentals, algorithms, data structures, applied AI, and game design, with career-skills sessions and one-on-one coaching from industry professionals. The program emphasizes exposure to Silicon Valley's tech and gaming industries alongside hands-on coding projects.
Northern California Area Emmy Student Production Awards
The Northern California Area Emmy Awards (National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences chapter) recognizes outstanding student video and broadcast production through its Student Production Awards of Excellence and Merit, including a dedicated 'Crystal Pillar - High School' category. Student entries covering work produced during the eligibility year are judged by television industry professionals, with winners eligible to purchase an engraved Emmy-style Crystal Pillar trophy.
NSLC Engineering Summer Program
The National Student Leadership Conference's Engineering program is a residential pre-college experience (offered at UC Berkeley among other U.S. campuses) where high schoolers explore civil, mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering through hands-on projects such as drone design, aquatic robotics, and wind turbines.